I am obviously posting this a few days late. Read on, dear friends…

Sunday morning started bright and early. Group members were free to eat at their leisure, and we were set to depart at 8:30. Close to that time, we all loaded onto a motorcoach and left for the center of Paris.

Our first stop was at the Place de la Bastille. The Bastille has a vast and bloody history, but suffice it to say that this was the location of the beginning of the French Revolution. Even today, when there is a strike or a protest, it will generally begin here.  This was also the location where we picked up our local tour guide for the day, Veronique.

From the Place de la Bastille, we made our way through the heart of Paris. Our first stop was at Notre Dame.  This cathedral is simply stunning. I stood in front of the cathedral as Veronique explained the different meanings behind the various sculpted scenes located on the front of the church. One thing that I didn’t know until she told us was the original purpose for the sculpted scenes. During the Middle Ages, the average French citizen could not read. The scenes that were sculpted on the church were done so in order to share the Gospel. People could see the scenes and understand that there was a final judgement that all would eventually face. Pretty nifty, huh?

I did go into the cathedral, but I felt uncomfortable. There was a mass going on, and I am just not of the opinion that worship should be a spectator sport. After seeing a bit of the inside, I quietly exited. The group met back up, returned to the bus, and moved on to see more of the city.

We drove around taking in various places, but our next stop was at a park behind the Eiffel Tower.  We honestly didn’t stay very long, but we did get to take a couple of good pictures.

From the Tower, we loaded up and headed off to Versailles.  This town is only about ten miles from the heart of Paris, but it offers an experience sure to complement a visit to the City of Lights. Let me interject here that Sunday afforded me the opportunity to hang out with some different group leaders. Friday, the whole group was pretty much together, and I mingled and mixed with as many of the group leaders as possible. Saturday morning the whole group was together again, but on Saturday afternoon, we split up. I spent some time at the Louvre with one group, and when we left the Louvre, I spent time with still more group leaders. This particular group of leaders weren’t completely comfortable exploring on their own, but they had confidence in me. We had a pretty good night which you can read about here at deeperwater.com. Sunday afforded me the opportunity to hang out with a couple of the younger group leaders, particularly my two new friends Nate and Katie. Nate is a guy in his mid-twenties that teaches up in Pennsylvania. He and his wife are expecting their first child soon, and he is an all-around good guy. Katie is a native New Yorker who has moved out to Orange County, California, where she works as an occupational therapist. The three of us got to spend quite a bit of time together on Sunday, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

After lunch in the city of Versailles, we  walked across the street to the Palace of Versailles. Originally, this incredible palace was little more than a hunting lodge. Louis XIV greatly expanded Versailles and eventually moved his entire court there. His thought was that if he could keep them all together, he could control them better. Nate, Katie, and I joined part of our group as we walked through the royal apartments, but we quickly learned that we couldn’t hear anything that the tour guide was saying. Rather than proceed from room to room like cattle being herded to the slaughter, we skipped ahead of the group, enjoyed the chateau at our own pace, and then we made our way out to the gardens.

The gardens at Versailles are vast and simply breathtaking.  There was no way that we would be able to explore much of them by foot, but luckily, we had an alternative. We all chipped in and rented a golf cart. After waiting in line, we finally had our cart and a map of the gardens. We followed the map… mostly. We did have a time or two when we went in the wrong direction… but for the most part, our exploring was uneventful. A leisurely approach would have been nice, but we simply didn’t have time. Instead, we took the cart down to the far end of the map enjoying all the sites along the way. We then headed back up to the chateau to drop off the cart, and with only a minor navigation problem (thanks Nate!), we made it. WE even picked up a hitchhiker along the way – Sue, one of the TCs from EF, decided to join us.

After we had gathered everyone, we loaded up the bus and headed back into Paris. We arrived at l’Arc de Triiomphe. I sometimes complain about traffic, but I couldn’t believe what I saw going around the Arc. Imagine a roundabout with no distinct lanes and no traffic signs or signals. Now imagine that traffic is pouring into this roundabout from 12 (twelve) different streets… and you will have something of an idea of what the situation is.

After a few moments there at the Arc, we had about an hour of free time. Nate, Katie, and  I decided to head down the Champs-Élysées. We made a brief pit stop at McDonald’s, and a stop at one of the souvenir stands before making our way down one side of the street and then back up on the other side. Apparently, we walked right by Don Johnson and didn’t realize it. One of the other participants told us where she had seen him, and we walked right past the same cafe. I guess I should have paid closer attention!

Once we all re-gathered, it was off to dinner and Paris by night. I will have to post about that tomorrow, because I need to iron something to wear to school tomorrow. Bon nuit!

Today, the day started with the conference part of why we are here. Each of the representatives from EF spoke, and the other experienced group leader and I both spoke.

That lasted until about 2:00 or so. We gave all of the teachers a break, and then we met back in the lobby. Joel, our tour director, spent a few minutes going over basic French. After that, we left for the heart of Paris.

We took the RER into town and then the metro over to the Palais Royale station. Though we could have walked through the station and into the Louvre through the underground, Joel once again demonstrated his flair for the dramatic by taking us upstairs. We met above ground between the Palais Royal (the boyhood home of Louis XXIV) and the backside of the Louvre. After setting us up, he led the way through to the interior courtyard.

Once there, we were once again greeted with the juxtaposition that is so characteristic of Paris these days… a strange combination of the old and the new. On one hand, you have the magnificent architecture of the Louvre, but placed right smack dab in the middle of the horseshoe shaped building is the once-controversial glass pyramid.

The Louvre is the largest art museum in the world, and it is impossible to take it all in. I knew that my time there was limited, so I joined a group that was determined to see a couple of things. We made our way over to the Mona Lisa first. I am glad to say that I have seen it, but like many things in life that have been hyped, I was somewhat underwhelmed. Frankly, I was more moved by Michelangelo’s works at the Sistine Chapel. (Perhaps at least partially because Michelangelo demonstrated a bloody wicked sense of humor by having a snake bite da Cesena on his naughty bits!)

We then made our way over to the Venus de Milo, which should actually be called Aphrodite. The statue was amazing, particularly considering that it is over 2000 years old. The only thing that was disconcerting was that the foot that is visible under the draping cloth seems rather disproportionally large. You guys that come back with me in March will have to check it out and see what you think.

After that, the group that I was with wanted to go to the Hard Rock to get some t-shirts. I was all about that originally, but what supposed to be just a shirt run ended up being a dinner excursion. Frankly, I would have preferred to have gone to a local place rather than eat an overpriced American hamburger, but what the heck. The teachers I was with enjoyed it, and they seemed to appreciate my willingness to take the leadership. I would have enjoyed hanging out with some of the younger teachers, but it simply wasn’t meant to be.

We had planned to go to a jazz club in the latin quarter, but we spent so much time waiting on dinner that it wasn’t possible. Instead, we wandered around the surrounding neighborhood for an hour and a half or so. We strolled through some of the back alleys and arcades and really enjoyed the sites. As it got closer to 9:00, we made our way to the metro.

Though many of the younger teachers were getting together at the Gare St. Paul (gare = metro station), the ones I was accompanying wanted to return to the hotel. I rode with them part of the way, and then we parted ways. They came back, and I went to St. Paul’s.

There, I connected with the younger portion and the EF staff and we went to the Auld Alliance, a Scottish pub. I made my obligatory appearance, smoozed for a few as I enjoyed a pint, and then excused myself. Three of the others joined me, and we made our way back to Val de Fonetenay.

I came up here to the room, called home, and then logged in. Thanks to the joys of a Mac, I video-conferenced with my girls, blew them kisses, and told them goodnight.

And now, I say goodnight to you. Bon nuit!

Our tour director for the weekend is a Brit by the name of Joel. He is a terribly funny guy, and I am actually hoping to work with him again. Though he is based in London, he does speak French and Spanish, so there is a chance that I could book him. He has been doing this for years, so I imagine he has much repeat business. If there is a way to have him for my spring tour, I intend to arrange it.

After posting earlier, I went downstairs for the brief Tour Director Orientation. This is the first meeting that the  tour director holds with a group to brief them on the location of the hotel, making sense of the metro, etc. and so on. We then walked over to the RER station and headed off. We took the A train down to Nation (a station) where we got off of the RER and made our way to the metro. We took the #1 line to Hotel de Ville, the Parisian City Hall.

Once we exited there, I truly felt that we were in Paris. It looked like Paris, if that makes sense. We stood there for a while, and Joel talked about how the French and we Americans are more alike than admit. When it comes to forms of government, he is right. Though we count the UK as a great ally, we have more in common with the French style of government. After the civics lesson, we began to meander through Paris.

After a short stroll, Joel stopped us in an alleyway. He pointed out that the huge building to our left was completely bowing out in the middle… if you looked up the wall, it is obviously bulging. The reasons for this include the fact that the building is at least three hundred years old; plus, it was built on marshlands. As he prepared us to move on, he mentioned that around the corner was a 700 year old church (which he described as being “ten for a penny in Paris”) which had a rather whimsical fountain, the Igor Stravinsky Fountain, in front of it.

Whimsical doesn’t begin to describe it. It was incredible! It included such pieces as huge red lips with water shooting out, a snake with water coming out of its mouth, and a mermaid with water coming out of one nipple! What is astounding to me is that you find such modern (postmodern?) things right next to the ancient. On the other side of the fountain is the Centre Georges Pompidou which is an architectural wonder. It is the building that is famous for having the guts on the outside.

We then wandered around through an area that is home to a seven story mall (which Joel pronounces as mal). The interesting thing about the mall is that all seven stories are subterranean. After we walked past it, we saw the back of L’eglise St-Eustache (the Cathedral of St. Eustice). Joel gave a wonderful explanation of flying buttresses, then used me and three others to give an example of how they work to support the walls of the cathedral. I am hoping somebody can email me some pictures of that one.

From there, we walked over to the place which was the birthplace and original home of Louis XXIV. I think I got some good pictures of the perspective gardens there. We then made our way past the back of the Louvre, down to the metro, and over to dinner.

For dinner, we ate at a restaurant called Flam’s. It is a neat place though not as cool as the place where we ate last night. The food was good, and there was lots of it. They served a dish called flammekueche, a very thin bread (think ultra-thin pizza crust) with a cheese melted on top and various toppings. It is somewhat pizza-like, and there is a chance we will eat there in March.

After dinner, some of the group was simply too tired to go on, so they returned to the hotel. The rest of us went up to Montmartre, a huge hill here in Paris. The name literally means Martyr Mountain, and it is named for St. Denis, the patron saint of Paris. He was the first bishop of Paris, and many people became believers because of him. As a result, he was decapitated with a sword. Apparently, after he was beheaded, he picked up his head with one hand and then walked several miles… preaching a sermon the entire time.  At the top of the hill is the church Sacre Couer which is simply amazing. Also from the top of the hill, I caught my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. The Parisian skyline is breathtaking from up there.

After wandering around for a bit, we made our way back down the hill to the metro station. After riding back to Nation, we got back on the RER to head back to Val de Fontenay.

And now my little story for the day ends, as I am tired. Tomorrow will come early, and it will bring the business portion of the trip. We will spend the morning in conference until at least 2:00. After that, who knows? I am in Paris, and there is a world of possibilities!

This morning, I got my wake-up call at 7:45. Luckily, I didn’t have to go with the EF staff to meet the teachers at the airport. Instead, I got to meet them when they arrived here at the hotel. The first group arrived at 9:15, so my morning was off to a leisurely beginning. This is a good thing since my wake-up call was at 12:45 in the morning my time!

Once the teachers arrived, we gave them a bit of info about the day, and then we let them check-in. Shortly, the rest of the group arrived. We got them somewhat settled, then we took them to a shopping mall located within spitting distance of the hotel.

The mall itself is okay, but my favorite two things about it so far are the place where we ate lunch and Auchan. We went to Flunch for lunch. Apparently, many of those who work in this area eat there daily. It is a self-serve type of cafeteria, and the food is pretty good. I didn’t get that adventurous… big surprise, right? I stayed with the pretty safe hamburger steak and some veggies.

After lunch, we walked over to Auchan. For those that might read this before school, tell Mrs. Tidwell we have to check one of these out when we come back in March. Auchan is apparently France’s answer to Wal-Mart! It is pretty cool to walk around and check out all of the different stuff that they have… and all the stuff that is the same. Coke is everywhere, right?

I picked up a couple of things there, but I am sure I will be back. Heck, my mom goes to Wal-Mart daily, so I suppose I need to do the French equivalent!

We are off to spend the rest of the day in Paris…. au revoir!

You must understand that I didn’t take Pierre the Cross-Eyed Janitor’s initial refusal to talk to me very seriously. He kept telling me, “Je ne parle anglais!” to which I would respond, “Oui, mais je parle francais un peu… s’il vous plait…” I was just trying to show him an address and ask him about two stations… frankly, my French is good enough for that.

Well, apparently, it wasn’t. I am pretty sure that Mr. Bauer didn’t teach us all the words that Pierre the Cross-Eyed Janitor used, but I got the gist of it. In what I can only assume was colorful French, Pierre the Cross-Eyed Janitor let me know 1) That my French sucks, and 2) He can’t read.

I finally decided to just guess. My first guess was a good one. I went down to the next station, got off, and followed the person in front of me. We walked out of the metro station into what could only be described as an industrial park. But look! There… it’s my hotel. The only thing standing between me and my hotel was a four-lane highway and a couple of walls. No big deal, right?

I went back into the metro station and bought another ticket for the metro… because you can’t get into the station without one and you can’t cross the highway without going through the metro station. I spent two euros to cross the freaking road. Oh, well… lesson learned. I have ridden that train several times this afternoon, and every time, I have gone out the right exit.

After meeting the EF staffers, I settled into my room and then went exploring. I went back to the metro station which is literally right across the street from my hotel. (The only way it could be any closer would be if it were in the lobby.) I took the RER back into central Paris, and then I took the metro several stops up. I got out, wandered around aimlessly for a while, and then decided to head back. It was no big deal, but I was proud of myself for not getting lost.

After a bit of a rest and a shower, I joined the EF staff for dinner. My group here consists of one group leader who is in management in the Boston office, a manager from the London office, three tour consultants from Boston, and another experienced group leader (more about him later). There are two other groups doing Paris O this weekend, and their staff joined us for dinner at a little restaurant in central Paris. My dinner was good, but the goat cheese salad was something I could have done without. It was an appetizer that I found not very appetizing. It was truly the less of the evils, though. The tour consultants on either side of me had frog legs and snails. If I could have sung “It’s Not Easy Being Green” by Kermit, I totally would have.

After dinner, most of the EF staffers went out for another couple of hours. I am feeling pretty wiped, so I came on back to the hotel. I have checked the email and written this… and now I am off for bed.

I’ll let you know about tomorrow!

If it is possible for a blog to get dusty from disuse, this one is covered with it. Oh, well. I suppose I have no real excuse. I do, however, offer the following.

As a teacher who has chosen to sponsor group travel, I have experienced many benefits. I have seen New York, London, and parts of Italy with many wonderful students. I walked around Stonehenge on my 35th birthday, and I spent my 36th in Rome with a group of friends… splitting a bottle of vino and smoking Cuban cigars. Today, I am experiencing another benefit of traveling with students. Today… I experience Paris.

EF is the company that I use for travel, and over the past couple of years, I have built a great relationship with the folks there. Vicki and Christine have been awesome tour consultants, and they have always pointed me in the right direction. When I mentioned to Christine that I would love the opportunity to help out at the regional conferences that EF hosts, she was quick to arrange that. Apparently, that went well because I was soon invited to Paris.

EF has a wonderful program for teachers that are new to international travel with students. Once a teacher has booked a trip and has students enrolled, that teacher qualifies for Paris Orientation, or Paris O for short. The teachers get to come and experience a tour first hand while learning from representatives of EF and experienced group leaders. At the end of the spring, I was invited to be an experienced group leader at Paris O.

This is why I was able to leave school early yesterday. I made a quick stop by Wal-Mart, then went to the Montgomery airport to catch a flight to Atlanta. Unfortunately, my Montgomery flight was delayed by several hours. Rather than taking a chance at missing my flight, I ran back outside, threw my luggage in the back of the car, and started driving up I-65 to I-85 so I could make it to Atlanta.

I made it to Atlanta in plenty of time, and made my way through security. My wait at the gate wasn’t too long, and after I got on the plane, I realized that the flight wouldn’t be full. Apparently, other connecting flights were delayed as well.

Once I was on the plane, I originally sat next to a nice couple who told me in accented voices that they were going home. I took this as the perfect opportunity to practice my high school French. I rattled off a couple of sentences that I knew would make my high school French teacher proud, and they looked at me funny. I tried a couple of more phrases… to no avail.

The husband then looked at me in that special way that we reserve for only the truly special and explained (slowly and a little loudly, I might add) that they were going home to Norway… I told him I didn’t speak Norwegian.

I found a window seat that had an empty seat next to it and spread out for the next several hours. I usually sleep well on planes, but I didn’t last night. I probably got two or three hours sleep before my flight attendant woke up with breakfast. (For the record, she totally destroyed the stereotype of attractive flight attendants. She looked like one of the Oak Ridge Boys.)

After the plane had driven around and around Charles De Gaulle for a what seemed like a couple of hours, we finally were able to disembark. Getting through customs was easy enough, and my new luggage (the bright blue hard case from Heys) was easy to spot on the carousel.

I made my way to where the trains leave the airport and bought my ticket. The metro here in Paris has two parts. The regular metro is called just that… the metro. There is also a faster-super-duper metro called the RER. I had no problems getting the right RER into Paris, and I enjoyed the ride.

Once we were away from the terminal, three guys got up in the middle of the car and began to perform. Apparently, this isn’t allowed because they had disguised their equipment. The singer snuck in a speaker with a microphone on a short stand attached to a rolling luggage carrier, and his backup band consisted of two buddies both playing accordion. Believe it or not, it sounded just like music on a train coming into Paris should sound. Other characters on that train included Balding Guy With a Bad Combover Reading Printed Internet Info About Ballet (in a plastic folder he labeled “Interesting Stuff”), Pakistani Man, and a double for the Haitian Dude From Heroes.
I made the switch fairly easily, and I got on a train headed toward my hotel. The problem is, there are two different trains that head TOWARD my hotel, but only one actually goes to it. Being the smarter than average guy that I am, I figured I should get off at the stop before the trains go off in one direction or another and ask for directions. That Norwegian dude had to be wrong… surely I speak French well enough to ask directions.

Well, Pierre the Cross-Eyed Janitor at the Metro Station didn’t think so. You know how French people have reputations for treating Americans poorly? It is all Pierre the Cross-Eyed Janitor’s fault. He gives all the rest of them a bad name…

More to come later… Read more »